Marine platform for producing, storing, and transferring marine green hydrogen

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing, storing, and transferring hydrogen. According to the present invention, in order to address the problems of conventional systems and methods for producing, storing, and transferring marine green hydrogen, which are configured with a fixed structure in a small-scale offshore wind power generator on a coast or in a shallow sea area with a shallow depth of water, and thus, have low efficiency due to the difficulty in mass production of hydrogen, and a large storage space is occupied when the produced hydrogen is converted into a compressed gas form, and when the produced hydrogen is converted into ammonia, additional energy is required to extract the hydrogen again and there is a risk of environmental pollution and casualty in the event of an outflow accident, provided is a marine platform for producing, storing, and transferring marine green hydrogen, which is configured such that marine green hydrogen is produced through a floating marine structure configured to produce marine green hydrogen using electricity produced using renewable energy from the ocean, and simultaneously, the produced marine green hydrogen is stored, transferred, and offloaded through a single offshore platform (FPSO), thereby being possible to easily construct a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transferring marine green hydrogen without greenhouse gas emission on the basis of eco-friendly energy.

Description

Offshore platforms for the production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and method for producing and storing hydrogen, and more particularly, to a marine green hydrogen production system and method that produces hydrogen by electrolyzing water using electricity produced using eco-friendly renewable energy in the ocean, such as wind power or wave power, as a method for achieving zero carbon emissions in the past, but most of the existing marine green hydrogen production facilities are composed of small-scale offshore wind turbines on the coast or fixed structures in shallow waters, and thus, mass production of hydrogen is difficult, resulting in limited efficiency. In order to solve the problems of the marine green hydrogen production systems and methods of the prior art, the present invention relates to an offshore platform for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen, which is configured to easily construct a large-scale marine green hydrogen production facility capable of mass-producing marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy, using an offshore platform that produces marine green hydrogen using electricity produced using eco-friendly renewable energy in the ocean.

[0002] In addition, the present invention is a method of storing and transporting the produced marine green hydrogen, such as converting hydrogen into a compressed gas form and transporting it to the coast through a pipeline or converting it into ammonia, but in the case of compressed gas, due to the characteristics of hydrogen having a very low volume density, it has the disadvantage of taking up a lot of storage space and having to construct a separate hydrogen supply chain on land, and in the case of converting to ammonia, while a lot of hydrogen can be stored in the same storage space, additional energy is required to extract the hydrogen again, and in particular, there is a risk of environmental pollution and human casualties in the event of a spill due to the toxicity of ammonia. In order to solve the problems of the conventional marine green hydrogen storage and transport systems and methods, the present invention is configured to produce marine green hydrogen using electricity produced using renewable energy in the ocean, and at the same time, store, transport, and offload the produced marine green hydrogen through a floating structure (Floating) that is configured to be performed through a single offshore platform (FPSO), thereby utilizing eco-friendly energy. This relates to an offshore platform for the production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen, which is configured to enable the easy construction of a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions, with a relatively simple configuration and low cost.

[0003]

[0004] Recently, as environmental pollution and climate change have emerged as global issues, research on technologies to reduce carbon emissions, one of the major environmental pollutants, is actively underway.

[0005] Accordingly, recently, marine green hydrogen, which produces hydrogen by electrolyzing water using electricity generated from various renewable energy sources in the ocean, such as wind power and wave power, is attracting attention as a method to achieve zero carbon emissions, as one of the eco-friendly alternative energy sources that will play an important role in achieving the global agenda of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

[0006] Here, as an example of a prior art for a device and method for producing marine green hydrogen as described above, there is, first of all, for example, “Hydrogen production plant using marine wind power generation equipment” as presented in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1258937.

[0007] More specifically, the above-mentioned Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1258937 relates to a wind power generation unit that generates power using wind power at sea; a floating body that distributes hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using the electricity generated by the wind power generation unit and stores it in a plurality of storage tanks in accordance with the storage pressure; And a control device that controls the position and attitude of the electrolysis and the floating body, wherein the control device includes a charging module that charges the primary power produced by the wind power generation unit and the secondary power produced by the fuel cell into a battery and supplies the primary power and the secondary power to the power supply unit, an electrolysis control module that provides the power for operating the electrolysis unit of the power supply unit to the electrolysis unit, an electronic valve control module that controls the opening and closing of a plurality of electronic valves piped on a hydrogen line or an oxygen line extended via a compressor from an electrolysis tank installed on the floating body, a compressor control module that controls the operation of the compressor to compress the hydrogen produced in the electrolysis tank, a ballast water control module that distributes and stores or discharges ballast water in a plurality of ballast tanks installed on the floating body, and a dynamic position control module that performs dynamic position control on a rotary propulsion device installed on the floating body, so that the hydrogen storage amount of the tank can be adjusted or distributed and stored in response to changes in the amount of hydrogen produced. It's about plants.

[0008] In addition, as another example of a prior art for a device and method for producing marine green hydrogen as described above, there is, for example, a "water electrolysis green hydrogen generation system using a vessel that produces electricity by flow-through" as presented in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2330052.

[0009] More specifically, the above-mentioned Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2330052 is a system for generating electricity by utilizing the speed of flowing water that flows in when a ship moves on the water surface or is anchored, and generating green hydrogen using the generated electricity, the system comprising: a cabin section having the shape of a ship that can float on a river or the sea and move, but is provided so that flowing water with an accelerated velocity in the direction of movement can flow in; a power generation section installed inside the cabin section and using the accelerated flowing water to rotate a generator so as to generate electricity; The present invention relates to a water electrolysis green hydrogen generation system using a vessel that generates electricity by flow-varying variable speed, which is installed in a cabin to be electrically connected to a power generation unit and includes a green hydrogen generation means that receives the generated electricity and generates green hydrogen by water decomposition, and is configured to increase the operating time and improve the quality of electricity generated from a generator by freely varying the natural water flow rate by opening and closing a foreign matter sluice gate and an old matter sluice gate by floating on a river or the sea, thereby improving cost-effectiveness, and at the same time having high usability in a river or the sea and being easy to maintain.

[0010] As mentioned above, various devices and methods have been proposed to produce marine green hydrogen, but the contents of the above-mentioned prior art had the following limitations.

[0011] That is, conventionally, marine green hydrogen has been mainly produced through a water electrolysis method using electricity produced using eco-friendly marine energy such as wind power, wave power, and tidal power. Recently, technology development is being conducted to store and transport hydrogen produced through P2G (Power to Gas) projects in the form of compressed gas.

[0012] However, hydrogen has a very low volume density of about 3 Wh / L at atmospheric pressure, so storing it in the form of compressed gas requires a relatively large amount of storage space, and in addition, there is a disadvantage in that a separate hydrogen supply chain on land must be established. In addition, if it is converted to ammonia instead of being converted to the form of compressed gas, more hydrogen can be stored in the same storage space, but additional energy is required to extract the hydrogen again, and in particular, there is a risk of environmental pollution and human casualties in the event of a leak due to the toxicity of ammonia. Therefore, in order to utilize hydrogen more efficiently in various fields, not only mass production of hydrogen but also the development of more efficient storage and transportation methods are required.

[0013] Here, when the large-scale marine green hydrogen produced is stored in the form of cryogenic liquid hydrogen, about twice as much liquid hydrogen can be stored as compressed hydrogen gas of the same volume, making it suitable for large-scale storage. In addition, since liquid hydrogen has characteristics more suitable for storage and transport than compressed gas, it is expected to have advantages in terms of cost and efficiency in long-distance transport using ships. However, in the contents of the above-mentioned prior art, there has been no presentation of a technology that can produce marine green hydrogen in large quantities using eco-friendly energy and store and transport it in the form of liquid hydrogen.

[0014] Therefore, in order to solve the limitations of the conventional marine green hydrogen production systems and methods as described above, it is desirable to propose a new marine platform (Floating Production Storage and Offloading; FPSO) for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen that is configured to produce marine green hydrogen using electricity produced from renewable energy in the ocean, store it in liquid hydrogen form, transport it, and then offload it through a single platform. However, a device or method that satisfies all of these requirements has not yet been proposed.

[0015]

[0016] The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to propose an offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of ocean green hydrogen, which is configured to easily construct a large-scale ocean green hydrogen production facility capable of mass-producing ocean green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy, by using an offshore platform that produces ocean green hydrogen using electricity produced using renewable energy in the ocean, in order to solve the problems of the prior art ocean green hydrogen production systems and methods, which are mostly composed of small-scale offshore wind turbines on the coast or fixed structures in shallow waters, making it difficult to mass-produce hydrogen and thus have limitations in efficiency.

[0017] In addition, another object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional marine green hydrogen storage and transport systems and methods, which have been used to store and transport the produced marine green hydrogen, such as converting hydrogen into a compressed gas form and transporting it to the coast through a pipeline or converting it into ammonia, but in the case of compressed gas, due to the characteristics of hydrogen having a very low volume density, it takes up a lot of storage space and has the disadvantage of having to construct a separate hydrogen supply chain on land, and in the case of conversion to ammonia, although a lot of hydrogen can be stored in the same storage space, additional energy is required to extract the hydrogen again, and in particular, there is a risk of environmental pollution and human casualties in the event of a spill due to the toxicity of ammonia. In order to produce marine green hydrogen using electricity produced using renewable energy in the ocean, marine green hydrogen is produced through a floating structure (Floating) that produces marine green hydrogen, and at the same time, the work of storing, transporting, and offloading the produced marine green hydrogen can be performed through a single offshore platform (FPSO), thereby being environmentally friendly. The aim is to propose an offshore platform for the production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen that can be easily constructed at a relatively simple and low cost to produce, store, and transport large-scale production facilities based on energy and without any greenhouse gas emissions.

[0018]

[0019] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, an offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen is provided, characterized in that it comprises: a power generation unit configured to perform a process of generating electric energy at sea using eco-friendly energy; a hydrogen production unit configured to perform a process of producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water using the electric energy generated by the power generation unit; a hydrogen storage unit configured to perform a process of converting the hydrogen produced through the hydrogen production unit into liquid hydrogen through a liquefaction process and storing the converted hydrogen; a hydrogen unloading unit including a mooring system and an unloading system for transporting and unloading the liquid hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage unit; and an offshore platform structure formed in the form of an offshore floating structure to form the main body of the offshore platform.

[0020] Here, the power generation unit is characterized by being composed of an eco-friendly offshore power generation system that generates electric energy at sea using eco-friendly energy including at least one of wind power, tidal power, wave power, and solar power, or an eco-friendly offshore power generation complex equipped with a plurality of eco-friendly offshore generators.

[0021] In addition, the offshore platform is characterized in that it is configured as an eco-friendly offshore power generation system or eco-friendly offshore power complex in which the power generation unit is separately installed outside the offshore platform structure, and the hydrogen production unit, the hydrogen storage unit, and the hydrogen unloading unit are installed in the offshore platform structure and formed integrally so that the tasks of producing, storing, and unloading hydrogen using the power supplied through the power generation unit are each performed, thereby enabling the production of hydrogen without emitting greenhouse gases containing carbon, and at the same time, it is configured in the form of a floating production, storage, and offloading facility (FPSO) configured so that the tasks of producing marine green hydrogen through a floating structure (Floating), storing the produced marine green hydrogen in the form of liquid hydrogen (Storage), and transporting and unloading the stored liquid hydrogen can be performed through a single platform.

[0022] In addition, the offshore platform structure is characterized in that it is configured in the form of an FPSO vessel in which the hydrogen production unit, the hydrogen storage unit, and the hydrogen unloading unit are each mounted, thereby enabling production, storage, transportation, and unloading of hydrogen all through a single platform.

[0023] Furthermore, the offshore platform is characterized in that it further includes an energy storage system (ESS) installed separately in the offshore platform structure to ensure a stable power supply even when sufficient power is not supplied through the eco-friendly offshore power generation facility of the power generation unit.

[0024] In addition, the offshore platform is characterized in that, in addition to the energy storage system (ESS), it further includes an emergency ESS and a hydrogen fuel cell installed separately in the offshore platform structure to enable power supply even in an emergency situation where power is not supplied.

[0025] In addition, the above-mentioned offshore platform is characterized in that it further includes a seawater desalination facility that converts seawater flowing in from the outside into fresh water and supplies it to the hydrogen production unit to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water using the electricity generated through the power production unit.

[0026] Furthermore, the hydrogen production unit is characterized in that it is configured to perform a process of producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water using electric energy supplied from the power production unit and fresh water supplied through the seawater desalination facility using PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis) or AE (Alkaline Electrolysis).

[0027] In addition, the hydrogen storage unit is characterized in that it is configured to store gaseous hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production unit in the form of compressed gas in a dedicated storage tank before liquefying it in order to supply hydrogen to an external system including the hydrogen fuel cell according to a predetermined setting, and to perform a process of storing the liquefied hydrogen produced through the liquefaction process in a plurality of C-type storage tanks, respectively.

[0028] In addition, the hydrogen storage unit is characterized in that it further comprises a boil-off gas (BOG) treatment means installed in each storage tank to recover boil-off gas hydrogen; and a ventilation means (Ventilation Mast) for releasing hydrogen gas leaked or generated due to BOG into the atmosphere.

[0029] Furthermore, the hydrogen unloading unit is characterized by including a loading arm and a turret mooring system for offloading liquid hydrogen.

[0030] In addition, according to the present invention, an FPSO vessel is provided, characterized in that it is configured to be capable of performing all of the production, storage, transportation and unloading operations of marine green hydrogen using the marine platform for production, storage and transportation of marine green hydrogen described above.

[0031] In addition, according to the present invention, a method for producing marine green hydrogen configured to enable the production of hydrogen without emitting greenhouse gases containing carbon using eco-friendly energy comprises: an offshore platform construction step in which a process of constructing an offshore platform for the production, storage, transportation, and unloading of marine green hydrogen is performed; a production step in which a process of producing marine green hydrogen using the offshore platform constructed through the offshore platform construction step is performed; a storage step in which a process of converting the marine green hydrogen produced through the production step into liquid hydrogen and storing it using the offshore platform is performed; a transportation step in which a process of transporting the marine green hydrogen produced through the storage step to a predetermined destination is performed using the offshore platform; And, using the above-described offshore platform, an unloading step is performed to unload the marine green hydrogen transported through the above-described transport step, and a method for producing marine green hydrogen is provided, characterized in that the marine platform is configured in the form of an FPSO vessel using the marine platform for production, storage, and transport of the marine green hydrogen described above.

[0032]

[0033] As described above, according to the present invention, an offshore platform (FPSO) for production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen is provided, which is configured to produce marine green hydrogen using electricity generated using renewable energy in the ocean, and at the same time store, transport, and offload the produced marine green hydrogen through a floating structure (Floating), thereby enabling a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy to be easily constructed with a relatively simple configuration and at a low cost.

[0034] In addition, according to the present invention, an offshore platform (FPSO) structure for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen is provided, which is configured to easily construct a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy as described above with a relatively simple configuration and low cost, thereby solving the problems of conventional marine green hydrogen production systems and methods that had limitations in efficiency due to difficulty in mass production of hydrogen due to being configured as small-scale offshore wind turbines on the coast or fixed structures in shallow waters.

[0035] In addition, according to the present invention, a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy as described above is provided with an offshore platform (FPSO) structure for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen, which is configured to be relatively simple and inexpensive to easily construct, thereby solving the problems of conventional marine green hydrogen storage and transport systems and methods, which have the disadvantage of taking up a lot of storage space and requiring a separate hydrogen supply chain on land due to the characteristics of hydrogen having a very low volume density when converting to ammonia, while allowing a lot of hydrogen to be stored within the same storage space, requiring additional energy to extract the hydrogen again, and in particular, having limitations such as the risk of environmental pollution and casualties in the event of a spill due to the toxicity of ammonia.

[0036] Moreover, according to the present invention, a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy as described above is provided with an offshore platform (FPSO) structure for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen, which is configured to be relatively simple and inexpensive to construct, thereby enabling the production and immediate unloading of liquid hydrogen at sea, enabling immediate transport without land-based work not only domestically but also internationally when exported, and eliminating the risk of hydrogen leaks / fires / explosions through offshore floating structures installed far from land. In addition, for example, hydrogen can be produced, stored, and supplied more efficiently by constructing a large-capacity centralized platform corresponding to a large-scale offshore wind farm. Therefore, the hydrogen economy can be activated by expanding the supply of hydrogen mobility and the energy sector due to the activation of the large-scale supply of marine green hydrogen, and it has the advantage of contributing to the establishment and implementation of national policies such as reduction of carbon dioxide and fine dust.

[0037]

[0038] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of an offshore platform for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing an actual configuration example of an offshore platform for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a drawing schematically showing the processing process for production, storage, and unloading of marine green hydrogen performed on an offshore platform for production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a drawing schematically showing a specific configuration example for a case where an offshore platform for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a ship.

[0042]

[0043] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a specific embodiment of an offshore platform for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen according to the present invention will be described.

[0044] Here, it should be noted that the contents described below are only one embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the contents of the embodiments described below.

[0045] In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention below, it should be noted that for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of parts that are identical or similar to the contents of prior art or that can be easily understood and implemented by those skilled in the art have been omitted.

[0046] That is, the present invention relates to an offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, which is configured to easily construct a large-scale marine green hydrogen production facility capable of mass-producing marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy, using an offshore platform that produces marine green hydrogen using electricity produced using renewable energy in the ocean, in order to solve the problems of conventional marine green hydrogen production systems and methods that have limitations in efficiency due to difficulty in mass-producing hydrogen because most of them are composed of small-scale offshore wind turbines on the coast or fixed structures in shallow waters, as described below.

[0047] In addition, the present invention, as described below, conventionally, methods for storing and transporting produced marine green hydrogen have been used, such as converting hydrogen into a compressed gas form and transporting it to the coast through a pipeline or converting it into ammonia. However, compressed gas has the disadvantage of taking up a lot of storage space due to the characteristics of hydrogen having a very low volume density and requiring a separate hydrogen supply chain on land. In addition, in the case of converting to ammonia, while a lot of hydrogen can be stored in the same storage space, additional energy is required to extract the hydrogen again, and in particular, there is a risk of environmental pollution and human casualties in the event of a spill due to the toxicity of ammonia. In order to solve the problems of conventional marine green hydrogen storage and transport systems and methods, the present invention produces marine green hydrogen using electricity produced using renewable energy in the ocean, and at the same time, stores, transports, and offloads the produced marine green hydrogen, so that the work can be performed through a single offshore platform (FPSO). By being configured, it relates to an offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, which is configured to enable the easy construction of a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy, with a relatively simple configuration and low cost.

[0048] Continuing, with reference to the drawings, the specific details of the offshore platform for producing, storing and transporting marine green hydrogen according to the present invention will be described.

[0049] More specifically, first, referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a marine platform (10) for production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1, an offshore platform (10) for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention can be largely divided into a power generation unit (11) in which a process of generating electrical energy at sea is performed, a hydrogen production unit (12) in which a process of producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water using the electrical energy generated by the power generation unit (11) is performed, a hydrogen storage unit (13) in which a process of converting the hydrogen produced through the hydrogen production unit (12) into cryogenic liquid hydrogen through a liquefaction process and storing the converted hydrogen, a hydrogen unloading unit (14) including a mooring system and an unloading system for transporting and unloading the liquid hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage unit (13), and an offshore platform structure (15) in the form of an offshore floating structure in which the above-mentioned units are installed to form the main body of the offshore platform (10).

[0051] Here, the power generation unit (11) mentioned above may be configured as an eco-friendly offshore power generation system that generates electric energy at sea using eco-friendly energy such as wind power, tidal power, wave power, or solar power, or an eco-friendly offshore power generation complex equipped with multiple generators.

[0052] In addition, the above-mentioned hydrogen production unit (12), hydrogen storage unit (13), and hydrogen unloading unit (14) are each installed in the offshore platform structure (15) and formed as one body, and can be configured to perform the work of producing, storing, and unloading hydrogen using the power supplied through the power production unit (11).

[0053] To this end, the above-described offshore platform structure (15) is not particularly limited as long as it is configured in the form of a platform or structure that is installed at sea and can produce and store hydrogen, but preferably, it is configured in the form of a ship on which the above-described hydrogen production unit (12), hydrogen storage unit (13), and hydrogen unloading unit (14) are each mounted, so that production, storage, transportation, and unloading of hydrogen can all be performed through a single platform.

[0054] Therefore, from the configuration described above, the offshore platform (10) for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen according to the embodiment of the present invention can be configured in the form of a floating production, storage and offloading facility (FPSO) configured to produce marine green hydrogen (Production) through an offshore floating structure (Floating) using electric energy generated using eco-friendly energy, store the produced marine green hydrogen in the form of liquid hydrogen (Storage), and transport and offload the stored liquid hydrogen through a single platform.

[0055] More specifically, referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing an actual configuration example of a marine platform (10) for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the offshore platform (10) for producing, storing and transporting marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured as an eco-friendly power plant in which the power generation unit (11) described above is installed at sea, and the offshore platform structure (15) described above is configured in the form of an FPSO vessel equipped with a hydrogen production unit (12), a hydrogen storage unit (13) and a hydrogen unloading unit (14), so that it can be configured to perform all of the processing of producing, storing, transporting and unloading hydrogen by receiving power generated using eco-friendly energy from the power generation unit (11).

[0057] Here, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the present invention is illustrated by taking as an example a case where the power generation unit (11) described above is formed as an offshore wind power plant and power is supplied through a dynamic power cable, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to the case of the embodiment described above, that is, the present invention may be configured to supply power through other eco-friendly energy sources other than wind power generation, such as wave power generation, tidal power generation, solar power generation, etc., and therefore, it should be noted that the present invention can be configured by modifying and changing it in various ways as needed by those skilled in the art within a scope that does not deviate from the spirit and essence of the present invention.

[0058] Also, referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a drawing schematically showing a processing process for production, storage and unloading of marine green hydrogen performed on an offshore platform (10) for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention configured as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0059] In addition, referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a drawing schematically showing a specific configuration example for a case where an offshore platform (10) for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention configured as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is installed on a ship.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the production, storage and unloading process of marine green hydrogen first supplies electricity to the hydrogen production unit (12), hydrogen storage unit (13) and hydrogen unloading unit (14) each equipped on the offshore platform structure (15) formed in the form of an FPSO vessel through the marine eco-friendly power generation facility of the power generation unit (11) described above.

[0061] Here, the above-mentioned offshore platform (10) may be configured to further include an energy storage system (ESS) installed in the above-mentioned offshore platform structure (15) to ensure a stable power supply even when sufficient power is not supplied through the marine eco-friendly power generation facility of the power generation unit (11), as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0062] From this configuration, some of the electric power consumed and remaining in the operation of the offshore platform (10) or the electric energy supplied is stored in an energy storage system (ESS), and when the electric energy supplied from the power generation unit (11) falls below a certain level, power is supplied through the ESS, thereby enabling a stable power supply at all times.

[0063] At this time, the above-mentioned offshore platform (10) can be configured to respond to an emergency situation where no power is supplied by additionally installing an emergency ESS (Emergency ESS) and a hydrogen fuel cell to supply power in an emergency situation, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0064] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the above-described offshore platform (10) may further include a seawater desalination facility that converts seawater flowing in from the outside into fresh water and supplies it to a hydrogen production unit (12) to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water using eco-friendly electricity supplied as described above.

[0065] That is, the above-mentioned hydrogen production unit (12) produces hydrogen by electrolyzing water using eco-friendly electric energy supplied from the power production unit (11) and fresh water supplied through a seawater desalination facility, as described above, and the produced hydrogen is moved to the hydrogen storage unit (13) and converted into ultra-low temperature liquid hydrogen through a liquefaction process and stored.

[0066] Here, as a method for producing hydrogen, methods such as PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis) or AE (Alkaline Electrolysis) can be used, and PEM is the most suitable in terms of sustainability and environmental impact.

[0067] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the gaseous hydrogen generated through the PEM is compressed and stored in a dedicated storage tank before the liquefaction process to handle various hydrogen supplies from the electrolyzer, and the liquefied hydrogen generated through the liquefaction process is stored in several C-type storage tanks, and each storage tank is placed in a cargo hold compartment prepared on the hull.

[0068] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a boil-off gas (BOG) treatment system for recovering boil-off gas hydrogen may be added to each storage tank, and the capacity and number of C-type storage tanks may be appropriately configured according to the configuration of the platform, and in particular, the number of storage tanks may be determined based on the maximum capacity of the production and unloading interval of liquid hydrogen.

[0069] Furthermore, the above-described hydrogen unloading unit (14) can be configured to perform the unloading operation of liquid hydrogen using an unloading system including a loading arm, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0070] More specifically, there are concerns that liquid hydrogen may have problems in terms of heat loss and low offloading speed during offloading operations, and since the technology to transport cryogenic liquid hydrogen for long-distance offloading is still insufficient, the unloading method using a loading arm is the most suitable with the current level of technology.

[0071] Accordingly, in the present invention, a single-point mooring system (Turret Mooring) is considered according to the unloading method through a side-by-side loading arm, and the loading arm can be configured to be placed in a dedicated space predetermined at the front of the hull in order to maximize the efficiency of the weathervane.

[0072] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the turret system is connected to a mooring system and a dynamic power cable, and hydrogen gas leaking or generated by BOG can be configured to be released into the atmosphere through a ventilation mast.

[0073] From the above-described configuration, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily implement an offshore platform capable of producing, storing, transporting, and unloading marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon emissions based on eco-friendly energy, thereby efficiently producing, storing, and supplying hydrogen as a large-capacity centralized platform corresponding to a large-scale offshore power plant.

[0074] In addition, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the above-described offshore platform structure (15) is formed into a ship, and a plurality of storage tanks are provided at the bottom of the ship to implement the above-described hydrogen storage unit (13), and at the same time, a hydrogen production unit (12) that produces hydrogen through water electrolysis using eco-friendly electricity supplied from an offshore eco-friendly power plant and a hydrogen unloading unit (14) equipped with a loading arm for unloading liquid hydrogen are installed at the top of the ship, thereby easily implementing an FPSO ship configured to enable production, storage, transportation and unloading of marine green hydrogen all through a single platform without any greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon based on eco-friendly energy.

[0075] In addition, according to the present invention, it can contribute to the establishment and implementation of national policies such as activation of the hydrogen economy and reduction of carbon dioxide and fine dust through expansion of supply in hydrogen mobility and energy sector due to activation of large-scale marine green hydrogen supply, and it is composed of a floating structure installed in the open sea, so that the risk of hydrogen leakage / fire / explosion, etc. can be placed far away from land space, and since liquid hydrogen can be produced at sea and unloaded immediately, it has the advantage of being able to transport the produced hydrogen directly without land work not only domestically but also when exporting it overseas.

[0076] That is, according to the present invention, by implementing a large-capacity centralized production, storage, and unloading system through liquefaction of produced hydrogen, the efficiency of marine green hydrogen production is maximized, and considering that the power consumption and maximum demand of each system for seawater desalination / hydrogen production / liquefaction / unloading are different, the power capacity and power distribution are optimized so that each system can demonstrate maximum efficiency through the ESS, thereby maximizing the efficiency of hydrogen production and storage, and in addition, power supply is possible even under extreme conditions such as shutdown through a fuel cell, and it can be implemented as an independent system that does not require the input of external energy (such as a generator) other than eco-friendly energy, and since production, storage, transportation, and unloading of hydrogen are all possible through a ship, it is easy to export not only domestically but also overseas, and since the processing stage through unloading at sea is possible, it can contribute to improving supply efficiency and diversifying supply sources, and thus has an advantage that is different from existing hydrogen production facilities, storage facilities, and transportation facilities that were only capable of producing, storing, or transporting hydrogen.

[0077] Here, in the above-described embodiments of the present invention, for example, more specific details regarding marine power generation facilities using eco-friendly energy, processes for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water, and processes for converting the produced hydrogen into liquid hydrogen, etc., are matters obvious to those skilled in the art by referring to existing marine power generation systems, hydrogen production systems, and methods, etc., and therefore, in the present invention, in order to simplify the explanation, it should be noted that detailed descriptions of contents that can be easily understood and implemented by those skilled in the art through literature of the prior art, etc., as mentioned above, have been omitted.

[0078] Therefore, as described above, an offshore platform for production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented, and thereby, according to the present invention, an offshore floating structure (Floating) for production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen is provided, which produces marine green hydrogen using electricity produced using renewable energy in the ocean, and at the same time stores, transports, and offloads the produced marine green hydrogen, thereby enabling the work of performing this through a single platform. Thus, a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy can be easily constructed with a relatively simple configuration and at a low cost.

[0079] In addition, according to the present invention, an offshore platform (FPSO) structure for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen is provided, which is configured to easily construct a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy as described above with a relatively simple configuration and low cost, thereby solving the problems of conventional marine green hydrogen production systems and methods that had limitations in efficiency due to difficulty in mass production of hydrogen due to being configured as small-scale offshore wind turbines on the coast or fixed structures in shallow waters.

[0080] In addition, according to the present invention, a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy as described above is provided with an offshore platform (FPSO) structure for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen, which is configured to be relatively simple and inexpensive to easily construct, thereby solving the problems of conventional marine green hydrogen storage and transport systems and methods, which have the disadvantage of taking up a lot of storage space and requiring a separate hydrogen supply chain on land due to the characteristics of hydrogen having a very low volume density when converting to ammonia, while allowing a lot of hydrogen to be stored within the same storage space, requiring additional energy to extract the hydrogen again, and in particular, having limitations such as the risk of environmental pollution and casualties in the event of a spill due to the toxicity of ammonia.

[0081] Moreover, according to the present invention, a large-scale production facility capable of producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen without any greenhouse gas emissions based on eco-friendly energy as described above is provided with an offshore platform (FPSO) structure for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen, which is configured to be relatively simple and inexpensive to construct, thereby enabling the production and immediate unloading of liquid hydrogen at sea, enabling immediate transport without land-based work not only domestically but also internationally when exported, and eliminating the risk of hydrogen leaks / fires / explosions through offshore floating structures installed far from land. In addition, for example, hydrogen can be produced, stored, and supplied more efficiently by constructing a large-capacity centralized platform corresponding to a large-scale offshore wind farm. Therefore, the hydrogen economy can be activated by expanding the supply of hydrogen mobility and the energy sector due to the activation of the large-scale supply of marine green hydrogen, and it has the advantage of contributing to the establishment and implementation of national policies such as reduction of carbon dioxide and fine dust.

[0082] Hereinafter, through the embodiments of the present invention as described above, the details of the offshore platform for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen according to the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the embodiments above, and therefore, it will be obvious that the present invention can be modified, changed, combined and replaced in various ways by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains according to design needs and other various factors.

[0083]

[0084] [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10. Offshore platforms for the production, storage, and transport of marine green hydrogen.

[0086] 11. Power Generation Department

[0087] 12. Hydrogen Production Department

[0088] 13. Hydrogen storage unit

[0089] 14. Hydrogen unloading department

[0090] 15. Offshore platform structure

Claims

1. For offshore platforms for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, A power generation unit that performs processing to generate electrical energy at sea using eco-friendly energy; A hydrogen production unit configured to perform a process of producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water using electric energy generated by the above power production unit; A hydrogen storage unit in which hydrogen produced through the above hydrogen production unit is converted into liquid hydrogen through a liquefaction process and stored; A hydrogen unloading unit including a mooring system and an unloading system for transporting and unloading liquid hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage unit; and An offshore platform for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that it comprises an offshore platform structure in the form of an offshore floating structure to form the main body of the offshore platform.

2. In paragraph 1, The above power generation unit, An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized by comprising an eco-friendly offshore power generation system that generates electric energy at sea using eco-friendly energy including at least one of wind power, tidal power, wave power and solar power, or an eco-friendly offshore power generation complex equipped with a plurality of eco-friendly offshore generators.

3. In paragraph 1, The above offshore platform, The above power generation unit is composed of an eco-friendly offshore power generation system or an eco-friendly offshore power generation complex installed separately outside the offshore platform structure, The above hydrogen production unit, the hydrogen storage unit, and the hydrogen unloading unit are installed in the offshore platform structure and formed as one unit, so that the tasks of producing, storing, and unloading hydrogen are each performed using the power supplied through the power production unit. An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized by being configured in the form of a floating storage and offloading facility (FPSO) that enables the production of hydrogen without emitting greenhouse gases containing carbon, and the production of marine green hydrogen through an offshore floating structure (Floating), storage of the produced marine green hydrogen in the form of liquid hydrogen, and transport and offloading of the stored liquid hydrogen through a single platform.

4. In paragraph 1, The above offshore platform structure is, By being configured in the form of an FPSO vessel in which the hydrogen production unit, the hydrogen storage unit, and the hydrogen unloading unit are each mounted, An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that it is configured to enable all operations of production, storage, transport and unloading of hydrogen through a single platform.

5. In paragraph 1, The above offshore platform, An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that it further includes an energy storage system (ESS) installed separately in the offshore platform structure to ensure a stable power supply even when sufficient power is not supplied through the eco-friendly offshore power generation facility of the power generation unit.

6. In paragraph 5, The above offshore platform, An offshore platform for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that in addition to the above energy storage system (ESS), it further includes an emergency ESS and a hydrogen fuel cell installed separately on the offshore platform structure to enable power supply even in an emergency situation where power is not supplied.

7. In paragraph 1, The above offshore platform, An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that it further includes a seawater desalination facility that converts seawater flowing in from the outside into fresh water and supplies it to the hydrogen production unit to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water using the electricity generated through the power production unit.

8. In paragraph 7, The above hydrogen production unit, An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that it is configured to perform a process of producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water using electric energy supplied from the power generation unit and fresh water supplied through the seawater desalination facility using PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis) or AE (Alkaline Electrolysis).

9. In paragraph 6, The above hydrogen storage unit is, In order to supply hydrogen to an external system including the hydrogen fuel cell according to a predetermined setting, the gaseous hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production unit is stored in a compressed gas form in a dedicated storage tank before being liquefied, An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that the liquefied hydrogen produced through the liquefaction process is configured to be stored in a number of C-type storage tanks.

10. In paragraph 1, The above hydrogen storage unit is, A boil-off gas (BOG) treatment means installed in each storage tank to recover boil-off gas hydrogen; and An offshore platform for production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized in that it further comprises a ventilation mast for releasing hydrogen gas, which is leaked or generated by BOG, into the atmosphere.

11. In paragraph 1, The above hydrogen unloading section, An offshore platform for the production, storage and transport of marine green hydrogen, characterized by comprising a loading arm and a turret mooring system for offloading liquid hydrogen.

12. An FPSO vessel characterized in that it is configured to be capable of performing all of the production, storage, transportation and unloading operations of marine green hydrogen by using an offshore platform for production, storage and transportation of marine green hydrogen as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A method for producing marine green hydrogen, which is configured to produce hydrogen without emitting greenhouse gases containing carbon using eco-friendly energy, Offshore platform construction stage where processing is performed to build an offshore platform for production, storage, transportation and unloading of marine green hydrogen; A production stage in which processing is performed to produce marine green hydrogen using the offshore platform constructed through the above-mentioned offshore platform construction stage; A storage step in which the marine green hydrogen produced through the production step is converted into liquid hydrogen and stored using the above-mentioned offshore platform; A transportation step in which the marine green hydrogen produced through the storage step is transported to a predetermined destination using the above-mentioned offshore platform; and It is configured to include an unloading step in which processing is performed to unload marine green hydrogen transported through the above transportation step using the above offshore platform, The above offshore platform, A method for producing marine green hydrogen, characterized in that it is configured in the form of an FPSO vessel using an offshore platform for producing, storing, and transporting marine green hydrogen as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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